2

This total pressure driving force would probably not be produced by a single pump but would be apportioned among several pumps spaced along the pipeline.

This example illustrates the power of dimensional analysis as an aid in experimental design and the scale-up of lab measurements to field conditions. We have actually determined the pumping requirements for a large pipeline by applying the results of dimensional analysis to select laboratory conditions and design a laboratory test model that simulates the field pipeline, making one measurement in the lab and scaling up this value to determine the field performance. We have not used any scientific principles or engineering correlations other than the principle of conservation of dimensions and the exercise of logic and judgment. However, we shall see later that information is available to us, based upon similar experiments that have been conducted by others (and presented in dimensionless form), that we can use to solve this and similar problems without conducting any additional experiments.